Thiruvananthapuram: The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has issued a notice to the Kerala Waqf Board seeking an explanation over the controversial registration of land linked to the long-running Munambam dispute, following a complaint submitted by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The Centre’s intervention comes after Chandrasekhar approached Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, alleging that the Kerala Waqf Board had unilaterally registered around 404 acres of land in Munambam on the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal without following prescribed procedures.
In his representation, Chandrasekhar argued that under the UMEED framework, the authority to upload property details rests with the concerned mutawalli, or caretaker, and not with the Waqf Board itself. He alleged that the Board’s action amounted to an overreach of its jurisdiction and violated established legal provisions.
Acting on the complaint, the Union Ministry has now sought clarification from the Kerala Waqf Board regarding the registration of the disputed land.
Reacting to the development, Chandrasekhar said the Centre’s action demonstrated its commitment to protecting the rights of residents affected by the dispute. In a post on social media platform X, he asserted that the registration of 404 acres in Munambam on the UMEED portal was “entirely illegal” and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for responding swiftly to the issue.
He further accused the Congress-led government in Kerala of failing to uphold the rule of law and claimed that no authority should be allowed to infringe upon the rights of ordinary citizens.
The Munambam land dispute has remained a contentious issue in Kerala for several years. The conflict centres on approximately 404 acres of coastal land in Ernakulam district, where more than 610 families, primarily from Latin Catholic Christian and fishing communities, face uncertainty over ownership claims made by the Kerala State Waqf Board.
Residents and various organisations have opposed the Waqf Board’s claim, arguing that families have lived on and possessed the land for decades. The dispute has increasingly become a political flashpoint in the state, with both the BJP and the Congress-led opposition raising concerns over the issue.
The latest intervention by the Union Ministry is expected to intensify the debate surrounding land ownership, Waqf administration and the rights of local residents in Munambam.
